Forbes listed Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach, two feeder areas from the school, as some of the most expensive zip codes in San Diego.
Pro – by Dylan Guillory
Living in San Diego means waking up to ocean breezes and clean, green streets. The beach and well-kept environment make life peaceful. Not spoiled, just balanced. It’s the kind of place that makes you appreciate where you live without even realizing it.
San Diego has some of the most expensive zip codes. According to Zillow, Rancho Santa Fe homes average to the price of $4,513,047. Del Mar has an average price of $2,697,531, which has gone down 1.7% in the past year. With these higher prices, debating whether or not to live in San Diego is a tough decision to make. However, when weighing in the benefits of having a safe community, living close to the beach and having a well-maintained environment, the cost seems less absurd.
When it comes to living in Southern California, the beach is a guaranteed spot where you will most likely be spending your weekends. Residents generally consider the beaches both clean and beautiful, with clear waters as well as great waves to catch for surfers. Furthermore, a beach comes with a cute beach town. Del Mar’s beach town includes surf shops, ice cream shops, restaurants and much more, adding to the lush experience of living locally. Living near the beach is good for stress relief and creating an active lifestyle due to cleaner air, soothing sounds and an abundant source of Vitamin D. Beach activities, such as swimming, surfing and walking, promote relaxation and overall well-being as they create a vacation-like environment.
Luxuries aside, safety comes first. In these nice neighborhoods, specifically Del Mar Heights, the crime rate is better than that of other neighborhoods in the United States. According to Neighborhood Scout, the 92014 zip code is 19% safer than other U.S. cities. Safety is the most beneficial thing to create a healthy living space. Feeling safe where you live can drastically reduce stress levels and improve the mental health of those living in the residence. Without the sense of fear lingering, residents are then able to focus on positive development rather than stress and anxiety.
These local communities are also kept tidy at all times. The Rancho Santa Fe Association requires homeowners to maintain the traditional landscaping, which must be reviewed when going through the process of redoing the exterior of your house. The traditional landscaping mixes rustic Spanish Colonial/Mediterranean elements with native California plants. This adheres to the strict Rancho Santa Fe guidelines for aesthetics and sustainability. This rule keeps the neighborhoods clean, adding to the appeal of living in the ranch. Living in a well-maintained environment significantly boosts physical health, as well as improving mental well-being through lower stress and enhanced mood, leading to greater productivity and a sense of calm and control.
Considering the expensive cost of living in these zip codes, people of the upper class live here. When it comes to living in nice neighborhoods with wealthy neighbors nearby, social opportunities may arise, leading to more job opportunities in higher-level fields. According to LinkedIn, 70% of candidates in an outplacement or career coaching program achieve their next role through their network. Networking is an essential part of finding a job, and with the benefit of living in proximity to financially stable networks, it may be easier to secure certain jobs.
Con – by Emily Chao
We are spoiled here. Exclusive proximity to the best of beaches, top-tier education systems and idyllic weather continue to raise the standard of living — and with it, the cost — for people privileged enough to live in this area.
This misconception that modern America is not still plagued by poverty and social inequality is prevalent in an area as wealthy as ours, where everyone seems to be entitled to parents of high-paying, esteemed professions, too privileged to know how good they have it. This illusion, this bubble, is the danger of growing up in an affluent zip code such as 92067 and 92014. There are so many advantages — low-crime rates, a high standard of living, more career opportunities and financial security. Many parents often choose these zipcodes for these benefits, wary of the potentially detrimental influence of higher rates of crime and drugs that are more prevalent in lower-income communities. The arguable increase in aesthetic appeal of wealthier neighborhoods as well as proximity to the beach paints a utopian air that betrays the deceptively idyllic nature of these areas. Behind the superficial stucco walls and well-kept exteriors lies a much more complicated truth. While proponents argue that this security and materialistic comfort will provide a nurturing childhood, this is a slippery slope. Children in these areas often grow up without really knowing and interacting with a world of people who do not have the financial luxury to entertain the idea of going to a four year college or have to take on multiple jobs to support their families before they turn 18.
Zip codes 92067 and 92014, the Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar communities respectively, make up a significant portion of students at the school. The median home value is $4.5 million, though most prices range drastically between $3-25 million, depending on size and location. This is, at the minimum, six times the average price for a home today in America. The median household income in the U.S. stands at $83,730 according to the United States Census Bureau, nowhere near within an appropriate range to purchase a $4.5 million dollar home. As one would imagine, this narrows the pool of people eligible to purchase a home in this area. As wealthy, upper-middle-class individuals move into neighborhoods, it becomes typical for students to feel entitled to a certain level of security and comfort.
The question becomes: what kind of car do you want for your birthday? A Porsche or Lamborghini? Oh sorry, that custom color is no longer available.
Minor inconveniences become perceived major issues. Money becomes a secondary concern; the first priority becomes feeding one’s own vanity and entitlement. Designer purses, ridiculously expensive clothing and outlandish vacations flood the mainstream. Even after everything people already have, seeing neighbors have more, seeing peers have something new, fuels an insecurity to “keep up.” Travel team sports, competitive extracurriculars and hobbies become seen as a “right” and guarantee instead of a privilege. A bubble is forming around these expensive areas, exuding the idea that these people have everything at the tip of their finger, where vanity triumphs over practicality. In order for kids to grow up and mature, the bubble has to pop.
To “get into” this type of privileged community, people have to afford a certain level of financial security, which filters out individuals of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, as living costs for housing, food and transportation rise, comparatively lower-income individuals are priced out of neighborhoods, inviting in progressively wealthier individuals. People living in these areas are not seeing 1 in 4 American families that still live paycheck to paycheck or the 47 million Americans struggling with food insecurity. What these shocking scenes of daily livelihood give us is perspective. That is what communities like 92067 and 92014 are missing from their lives. Two separate worlds are forming: the haves and the have-nots. The ‘haves’ who live in these zip codes achieved the American Dream, but they may have forgotten what it looks like to interact with people who have not. People who still struggle to put food on the table, who are proud to be a first-generation high school or college graduate, who have saved by the penny to simply pay for a roof to live under.
As exceptional as this area is, with remarkable opportunities and environmental beauty, even the most outwardly flawless things come with a cost. The idea that everything you need can be bought fails when it comes to a nuanced perspective of a country that still lies along a gap of vast socio-economic inequality.
The bubble of indulgence was nice while it lasted, but for the benefit of our society, it has to pop.
